El Enemigo Interior (The Enemy on the Inside)
Having slept in the Federal Building the night after their battle with El Maestro de los Tiplistas and his esbirros, our heroes are well-rested and taking in a proper view of Tenochtitlán Town Square; however, all is not as serene as it seems. Not only does Tenochtitlán seem on the defensive due to increased military vigilance in this timeline, but also our heroes now have memories of two different lives. Where Señor Blanco was once El Presidente’s personal guardaespaldas (bodyguard), he finds that in this timeline he’s but one among many guardaespaldas. Where El Tigre Azul was once the most famous luchador in all of Gran Colombia, he finds that his career as a luchador was cut short by his enlistment in the military (ironically enough, he's now known as "Sargento Pinta" as his Uncle Jorge once was) in order to defend his beloved Gran Colombia. Where El Enigma was once the most notorious spy mistress in both British America and Gran Colombia, she has become a more subtle and obscure presence among a vast network of spies on both sides of the changed border. Where La Bruja once entertained massive crowds with her magic tricks, most people in this new Tenochtitlán don’t seem to have much time for magic tricks, barring the occasional odd handful of people. Meanwhile, Dr. Mantis is back in his safehouse/hacienda in the outskirts of Tenochtitlán, contemplating the changes to his own life. Where once he was a well-known opportunist for hire in British America, he finds that his reputation and network are limited; he’s a much smaller fish in the same proverbial pond. As he ponders his new circumstances, Abuelita Rosa turns up to take him back to Tenochtitlán Town Square with the band of heroes, and then to La Tierra del Fuego Azul (Land of the Fuego Azul) so he and the others can face their opposing selves and be whole again. At first reluctant to go, he turns into a swarm of bees and heads straight for Abuelita Rosa; unsurprisingly, Abuelita remains unimpressed. He finally reluctantly goes along with her after several unsuccessful (although, to his credit, variegated) attempts to rattle and/or dissuade her, including wasting 6 perfectly good bottles of aguardiente in an attempt to throw them at Abuelita! They find our heroes deep in contemplation - and, to a large degree, sorrow. Abuelita Rosa explains to the heroes what she explained to Dr. Mantis, and they agree to accompany her to La Tierra del Fuego Azul, where they're greeted by La Voz Sin Rostro (see Un Gran Misterio (A Great Mystery)). La Voz Sin Rostro explains to the party of five that in order to be at peace with themselves once more, they must fight - themselves! In a moment of inspiration, Señor Blanco rallies the group by declaring, "We neet not fight ourselves alone! Otherwise, it will be stalemate for eternity!" La Voz Sin Rostro quickly disappears, and our heroes become embroiled in an epic battle! El Tigre Azul manages to flip his counterpart and throw him to the ground in response to a failed attempt to leap and take down our brave luchador, ''although the counterpart taunts him with, "Haha! I know what you look like!"; incensed, El Tigre Azul clotheslines him! Meanwhile, El Enigma looks at her counterpart - declaring, "I am insulted that I take this form!" - while throwing her throwing knife at Señor Blanco's counterpart and watching it pass through him and fall to the ground! At the same time, Señor Blanco's double lifts the El Enigma counterpart (who has her blades ready) up in the air and swings her toward the real El Enigma like a scythe; in a fortunate (and unexpectedly revelatory) moment, Señor Blanco places himself in front of El Enigma to protect her, finding that the blades of her counterpart pass through him with no effect! The party quickly get the message, although Dr. Mantis doesn't immediately have a chance to put his knowledge into practice; he and his counterpart are swarming at one another in bee swarm form! La Bruja, however, ''is in a position to affect her counterpart. She spins her counterpart in a cyclone, which causes her to scream "¡Ay ay ay!" in astonishment and anger; she also manages to spark a magical explosion under her counterpart whilst she's in the cyclone, which causes her to stumble, fall, and cry out, "How dare you!" as a protective bubble is cast about her in order to cushion her fall. Dr. Mantis, Señor Blanco, and El Tigre Azul seem to be struggling in the interim. Dr. Mantis attempts to reach out to his counterpart with the psychic message "We'll come together and do the you-know-what!" Rejecting the overture, his counterpart becomes a nettle of wasps. He counters by becoming a Venus fly trap. His counterpart counters him by becoming acid rain. He counters his counterpart by becoming the Sun. His counterpart counters him by becoming a wall of cold, cold rock. He counters his counterpart by becoming a rock-dissolving acid. Meanwhile, Señor Blanco lifts his counterpart and breaks him against a nearby rock; his counterpart simply re-forms, at which point he fly-kicks his counterpart, declaring "This is how a real Gran Colombian fights!" His counterpart responds with the challenge, "You have not seen a real Gran Colombian yet!" As this is happening, El Tigre Azul's counterpart takes off his mask, revealing El Tigre Azul's true face: a square but distinctly Mesoamerican jaw, high cheek bones, stubble, a stereotypically long Gran Colombian moustache, and a scar running across his left cheek from a knife fight he had in his youth. Seeing his own self laid so bare shocks El Tigre Azul. His counterpart exploits this shock with the intimidating taunt, "¡Pobre Pedrito! Are you going to cry like a llorón? (crybaby)" El Tigre Azul can but gasp at the gaping mental wound with which he is left. Seeing the chaos around her, El Enigma simply comments, "So barbaric!", wishes a chess board into being, and invites her counterpart to a chess game; her counterpart agrees to play while both deceive the rest with an epic-looking shadow-fight! As if to imitate El Enigma's mistake with Edward Miles (see El Gringo Metiche (The Meddling White Man)), El Enigma's counterpart puts her rook in harm's way, which El Enigma herself captures with her bishop. Whilst El Enigma and her counterpart are enjoying themselves in an engaging game of Fuego Azul Chess, Señor Blanco and El Tigre Azul aren't enjoying themselves nearly as much. Señor Blanco's counterpart taunts him with, "So, how does it feel to be a lapdog in a sea of lapdogs? You are nada!" At this Señor Blanco becomes visibly despondent, almost in tears! He cries out, "I deserve to be El Presidente's number 1 guard! I can't be!" El Tigre Azul is also despondent, but his reaction is to remain in a catatonic state, paralysed by his counterpart's continued taunts of "¡Pedrito!" and "¡Llorón!" Dr. Mantis and La Bruja seem to be keeping themselves on an even keel for the time being. Dr. Mantis not only fends off his counterpart's latest attempt to intimidate him, but he also imagines his counterpart in a prison of his mind, where no escape is possible. He whispers to his counterpart, "For now I'll keep you in here until I need you." His counterpart counters with, "You are formidable - after all, you're me!" at which point Dr. Mantis lets him out and offers him a cup of tea (which his counterpart, also of a British mentality, graciously accepts - for now). Meanwhile, La Bruja invites her counterpart to a magic-off, starting off by creating magical figurines dancing; her counterpart answers with the magical equivalent of a multi-colour laser-light show! The (relatively) good times don't last for La Bruja, however. Her counterpart listens to her sing (badly), and taunts her with, "You cannot sing!" Desperate to save her fragile ego, La Bruja utters, "No! No! I am the best singer! Everybody knows!" Becoming despondent, she cries out, "What's happening?" and starts sobbing! Things are beginning to look bleak for Señor Blanco as well. He says to his counterpart in a vague, half-hearted attempt at a challenge, "Why is it you do this?" His counterpart simply intimidates him back into stunned, shamed silence, complete with gritted teeth, clenched fists, and a mind fumbling for what to say or do. Meanwhile, El Tigre Azul is reaching into himself for the strength he needs to win. He rises to meet his counterpart, boldly declaring, "You're forgetting one thing. A luchador has but one face!" His defiant stand stuns his counterpart for the moment. Inspired by the brave El Tigre Azul, Señor Blanco reaches into his own inner strength and openly declares, "I can prove myself again! I will show El Presidente how valuable I am! I shall become great again!" His strength and determination have returned; this prompts him to offer his counterpart a game of hide and seek, the stakes being that either one or the other version of himself will be in control, depending on the victor. The counterpart agrees and starts counting to 20... During the chess game, El Enigma discusses the notion of unity with her counterpart, the premise being that they will work together for the defence of Gran Colombia; her counterpart rejects this notion, instead clinging to the notion that they would both be better served defending British America. Confused, El Enigma asks her counterpart why they might have different ideas of unity. Her counterpart shoots back with, "You had a change of heart with the Fuego Azul. Why can't you stay stolen?" Meanwhile, El Tigre Azul is turning the tables of the battle on his counterpart. He reasserts his dominance by informing his counterpart, "Sí. A luchador has but one face. He lives with it all his life! He is buried with it when he dies!" He then puts his counterpart's mask back on, as if to declare victory. At this point, his counterpart semi-meekly retorts, "Those Gran Colombian scoundrels ruined me!" As Dr. Mantis' counterpart becomes more comfortable inside his captor's head, he tries something out. As Dr. Mantis prepares a nice cup of tea, his counterpart (in an attempt to intimidate him) dredges up a bad memory of the mockery he received for once making a bad cuppa. "You were called Tea Totaller, weren't you? That was a bad cuppa or two you made!" Irritated instead of intimidated, Dr. Mantis yells, "Back in the box!" and puts his counterpart back in his mental cage. La Bruja starts to reach in for her inner strength. She holds up a mirror to her counterpart and shouts, "You, fake Bruja! Look at yourself!" Her counterpart is horrified in place for a moment, but retorts with, "I may be ugly, but I am the most beautiful ugly witch in Gran Colombia!" Having had enough of the back-and-forth with his counterpart, Dr. Mantis absorbs his counterpart through sheer will! The two battling selves are now one! At this point he turns to his "colleagues" and asks (somewhat ironically), "So guys, how's your battles going?" El Tigre Azul's counterpart makes one last attempt to intimidate him back into submission by asking him why he's "cowardly" enough to wear the mask and not show his face, especially now that his career prospects are limited in this new timeline. However, as he now regards his counterpart as a reflection of his insecurities, he proudly pontificates, "I do it because I am a luchador. You are right, it is good to know one's limitations, and I thank you!" Not expecting such understanding and generosity, the counterpart sheds tears of pure Fuego Azul, disintegrates "pixel by pixel" (or so it's made to look for the audience's benefit) and reintegrates into El Tigre Azul himself. At this point El Tigre Azul emerges more confident, knowing he's done right for his beloved Gran Colombia. In the interim, Señor Blanco's game of hide-and-seek takes some intriguing twists and turns. Señor Blanco accidentally leaves his big toe in plain view for his counterpart to see, and his counterpart manages to sneak up behind him, half-mockingly saying, "You shouldn't leave your big toe out." Embarrassed but not wanting to admit defeat, Señor Blanco asks of his counterpart, "How would you like to go double or nothing?" The counterpart accepts the offer and hides as Señor Blanco counts to 20... As the chess game between the two El Enigmas drags on, the counterpart becomes more and more frustrated, angrily asking - nay, demanding - to know why El Enigma would so brazenly betray the great empire of British America. Sensing an opportunity to bring her counterpart to her side, El Enigma calmly counters, "I can tell you are frustrated. I can tell you are irritated by being held back by Edward Miles. You will realise there are no true barriers, only obstacles that will inevitably fall." Understanding and agreeing with the full weight of El Enigma's words, her counterpart sheds a tear of pure Fuego Azul, crying out, "All I wanted was recognition!" As her counterpart's bitter tears starts falling, she pixellates (or so the audience would call it), disintegrates, and reintegrates into El Enigma; the two selves of El Enigma are again one self, confidently moving forward for all of Gran Colombia. Whilst El Enigma is rejoicing in her triumph over herself, La Bruja sees her own loneliness reflected in her counterpart and decides to show herself the ultimate kindness. She extends her hand and faces her counterpart with these heartfelt words: "I do not think I had a friend growing up. People were intimidated by my beauty. Let's be friends." Knowing full well that she can't refuse kindness from her own self, her counterpart sheds tears of Fuego Azul, hugs La Bruja, and openly and emotively declares, "I love you, me!" La Bruja goes a big blubbery one, declaring with equal enthusiasm, "I love you, me, too!" And with the customary pixellation, disintegration, and reintegration, the two become one La Bruja. As La Bruja becomes whole again, Señor Blanco is never far behind in his own progress. His counterpart almost manages to hide behind some very well placed Fuego Azul-looking Palo Verde trees; however, Señor Blanco manages to make out a pair of eyes in the mesh of Palo Verde branches and proceeds to part the branches to reveal his counterpart! His counterpart congratulates him on a job well done, which causes him to muse out loud: "If I can root you out, I can root out ALL traidores in Gran Colombia! I will win El Presidente's trust and regain my rightful place!" With a knowing nod, his counterpart pixellates (or so the audience would call it, disintegrates, and reintegrates into Señor Blanco, whose clarity of purpose has never been sharper! Immensely pleased that our heroes (and Dr. Mantis) have reintegrated themselves into themselves and won the day, La Voz Sin Rostro returns and congratulates them with the words, "You have been made whole again! Well done!" The heroes proceed to return to their world, but before they do, El Enigma is seen to be manipulating her chessboard. The scene cuts to a close-up of the Fuego Azul - created chessboard, and faces appear as major pieces - El Pirata, El Ciclón, Nada (from El Fomento), and the Manipulator of Time are among the faces seen as major pieces on the chessboard. El Presidente is of course the White King, and Queen Victoria is the Black King. The scene finishes by scrolling past a row of white pawns with images of Dr. Mantis' bees on them, and an equivalent row of black pawns also with images of Dr. Mantis' bees on them...